Criminal shot dead in police encounter in Haryana

A criminal, wanted in several cases of murder and dacoity, was shot dead by the police in an encounter near Goghrian village of the district, police said on Friday.

Sandeep Chitania, a resident of Chitana village of Sonepat district, was allegedly involved in more than a dozen cases of heinous crimes, including murder, dacoity, extortion and robbery in Haryana and adjoining states, police said.

He had escaped from the Gurgaon police custody last year.

Sandeep, who had been hiding in Narwana for the past few days was going to Rohtak in a car yesterday to commit some crime when the encounter with police took place.

On the Jind-Narwana road near Baroda village, police singalled him to stop the car, but Sandeep alledgely fired at the police and sped his car towards Gogharian village.

A police party chased his car and a gunfight ensued between the two parties. Sandeep was seriously injured in the firing.